Jail for dangerous Doncaster driver who seriously injured two people in 'fireball' crash

A dangerous Doncaster driver, who caused a 'fireball crash' when he approached a blind bend on the wrong side of the road, has been jailed.

A woman and her 18-year-old foster son were both left with serious injuries when Wayne Mazunder ploughed his Vauxhall Insignia into the woman's Volvo vehicle, head-on, as she was travelling along Sheep Lane in High Melton, Doncaster.

During a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday, the court was told how in the moments leading up to the collision, Mazunder was driving in what the Crown described as a 'aggressive and inpatient' manner behind a taxi.

Louise Gallagher, prosecuting, said: "Mr Mazunder was inpatient with speed at which the taxi was driving and drove close to its rear."

The court was told how the taxi broke shortly after this in what District Judge, Robert Moore, interpreted as the taxi driver attempting to signify that it was not safe to overtake.

Mazunder, 36, narrowly avoided a collision with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction along the 'narrow and undulating country road,' as Ms Gallagher described it, seconds later.

"It over took the taxi, and dashcam footage shows him break in front of the taxi in an inpatient and provocative manner. It sped away, and was on the wrong side of the road when it reached the blind bend and crashed head-on into the complainant's vehicle," said Ms Gallagher

The woman and her foster son were assisted by other motorists and both managed to exit her vehicle before it caught fire, the court heard.

The woman was left with a broken right ankle, a broken breastbone and a cut to her forearm.

Mr O'Shea said the incident, which took place at around 5.15pm on August 18, 2016 had led to Mazunder losing his home and his job as a HGV driver and appealed to Judge Moore to suspend his prison sentence.

This was rejected by Judge Moore who said Mazunder's offending was 'so serious that only a substantial, immediate custodial sentence could be justified' and sentenced him to 30 months in prison.

He said: "Both cars ended up in a fireball. You, the complainant and her foster son all could have been burnt alive."

Mazunder was also disqualified from driving for three years, three months, after which time he will be required to take an extended driving test should he wish to get back behind the wheel.